Sharjah Council pushes for digital transformation in urban planning

Dubai: The Sharjah Consultative Council (SCC) has approved a set of recommendations calling for accelerated digital transformation and enhanced institutional integration at the Department of Planning and Survey, as part of efforts to advance sustainable urban development across the emirate.

During its fifth meeting of the third ordinary session of the 11th legislative term, held at the Council’s headquarters in Sharjah and chaired by Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, the SCC stressed the need to further develop the department’s operating framework to improve urban planning standards and keep pace with the emirate’s long-term development goals.

The recommendations followed extensive discussions on the department’s policy, attended by senior officials including Engineer Hamad Jumaa Al Shamsi, Member of the Sharjah Executive Council and Chairman of the Department of Planning and Survey, and Engineer Ali Sultan Al Muhairi, Director of the department.

The Council highlighted the importance of establishing a unified system linking relevant government entities with the Department of Planning and Survey to standardise databases, strengthen coordination and ensure better integration of infrastructure projects from the planning stage through to implementation. This, it said, would improve project efficiency and quality while reducing overlaps and conflicts.

The SCC also called for speeding up digital transformation through the use of artificial intelligence and the launch of a unified digital portal for land applications and building permits. The proposed platform would allow applicants to track requests in real time, simplify procedures and reduce bureaucracy, ensuring faster and more accurate service delivery.

Among the key recommendations was the need for a clear timeline to complete the street-naming and building-numbering project across all cities and regions of Sharjah, with integration into smart systems to support faster response times, particularly for emergency, security and service-related operations.

The Council further urged adherence to a comprehensive, approved master urban plan aligned with the emirate’s future vision, infrastructure needs, population growth and expanding investment projects, to ensure long-term sustainability of urban development.

On land and property matters, the SCC stressed the importance of adopting clear regulatory policies for redevelopment and replacement programmes, including unified compensation mechanisms and a transparent framework for valuing inherited lands, while safeguarding the rights of all parties.

The recommendations also called for reactivating property verification committees and strengthening their operational frameworks to expedite decisions on ownership confirmation and resolve related issues more efficiently.

Concluding the session, the Council reaffirmed its support for the Government of Sharjah’s efforts to enhance institutional performance, develop the urban planning system and achieve balanced, sustainable development that improves quality of life across the emirate.

The SCC announced that its next session, scheduled for January 5, will focus on discussing the policy of the Department of Public Works in Sharjah.